A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR

A61M2202/00—Special media to be introduced, removed or treated

A61M2202/06—Solids

A61M2202/064—Powder

A61M2202/066—Powder made from a compacted product by abrading

A—HUMAN NECESSITIES

A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE

A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR

A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus

A61M2205/33—Controlling, regulating or measuring

A61M2205/3331—Pressure; Flow

A—HUMAN NECESSITIES

A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE

A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR

A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus

A61M2205/75—General characteristics of the apparatus with filters

A61M2205/7518—General characteristics of the apparatus with filters bacterial

Abstract

A method of administering a drug whereby a fine drug powder can
be accurately administered to a target site (in particular, a
target site in the body cavity) via fluidization and spraying
with a gas by using a micro tube. Concerning the administration
mode, in particular, the drug alone or a biopolymer is
administered or the biopolymer is employed as a carrier in the
above method. More specifically speaking, a method of
administering a fine drug powder which comprises finely milling
one or more types fine particles of the drug and/or the
biopolymer, blending them each other, fluidizing the blend with
a gas, then transporting the fluidized matter in a micro tube
by the gas stream and spraying the fine drug powder from the
tip of the micro tube toward the target site. Further, an
administration method which comprises concentrically
providing a capillary tube in the micro tube, supplying an
aqueous solution of the drug and/or the biopolymer from the
capillary tube into the gas stream and then mixing it with other
fine particles of the drug and/or the biopolymer under
transportation by the gas.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ARTField of The Invention

The present invention relates to a drug administration
method, in which a finely powdered drug can be precisely
administered to a target site, particularly a target site
located within a body cavity, via the utilization of a
fluidization process and/or a spraying process that uses a gas
within a micro tube. Specifically, the present invention
relates to a drug and a method for administering a biopolymer,
whereby a single drug or a biopolymer, or a drug with a biopolymer
as its carrier, can be sprayed, or whereby fine particles,
solutions of a plurality of drugs or mixtures thereof can be
sprayed.

Background of The Invention

Biopolymers that typically include polysaccharides or
proteins with biocompatibilities such as oxycellulose,
carboxymetylcellulose, hyaluronic acid, collagens and the like
have traditionally been used for various types of applications.
For example, JP-A-H09-328,432 (1997) discloses a sprayed drug
containing chitin as a hemostat that has a spraying agent filled
therein; JP-A-2000-186,048 discloses a hemostat comprising of
a poly cationic compound powder and a poly anionic compound
powder; and JP-A-H07-155,377 (1995) discloses a powder sprayer
for spraying finely powdered particles such as a hemostat or
the like into the interior of a body cavity and the nozzle for
spraying the powder. Further, for example, US Patent No.
4,657,548, US Patent No. 5,582,591, US Patent No. 6,365,187,
US Patent No. 6,372,718, US Patent No. 6,403,570, US Patent
Pre-Grant Publication No. 20010000142A1 and US Patent Pre-Grant
Publication No. 20010006957A1 disclose various types of
biopolymers that possess bioadhesiveness or those employed as
hemostats. Because these biopolymers have hemostatic
functions or functions for adhesion prevention, they have been
applied to surgical operation sites or wound sites as
applications for providing hemostasis, preventing adhesion,
preventing keloid, wound healing, wound closing, and providing
seals and the like.

On the other hand, different types of application format
for these biopolymers were required depending upon their
respective purpose of use, thus, the various application
formats such as non woven sheet-type, film-type, granule-type
or gel-type have been developed. Thus, applications thereof
were limited by their respective purpose of use, and therefore
biopolymers were not able to be generally and widely applied
when conducting hemostasis and/or preventing adhesions.

Particularly, the target sites for applying these
biopolymers are diversified by size, shape, position of
application and the like, thus, there is a wide range of changes.
Therefore, it is difficult to precisely attach and/or retain
the biopolymer to the target position. Specifically, it should
be emphasized that it is almost impossible to apply biopolymers
to applications for conducting hemostasis or preventing
adhesions within body cavities or at endoscopic post-operation
sites.

The present inventor actively conducted development for
the provision of a technology, whereby biopolymers could
precisely be attached or retained regardless of the size, shape
or position of the application site and the inventor eventually
found that the biopolymer can be applied to the target site in
an extremely easy way by designing the biopolymer with ultra
fine particles capable of being fluidized by the jet force of
a gas, and spraying the fine particles to the interior of the
body cavity or to the surgical site after an operation via
endoscope by utilizing gas injection. Based on these
developments, the inventor has proposed a type of biopolymer
with fine particles, which is capable of providing hemostasis,
preventing adhesion, preventing keloid, wound healing, wound
closing, and providing seals or the like in an easier way
(JP-A-2001-259212).

Meanwhile, there has been no effective method for
administering a drug useful in conducting healing for ablated
surfaces or a surface of mucosa after ablation by surgical
operation. In particular, since systemic administrations such
as oral administrations and injection administrations provide
lower drug concentrations of administered drugs to the target
disease site, a larger dosage is required to obtain higher drug
efficacy, resulting in a problem by increasing the opportunity
for the manifestation of side effects.

Therefore, in recent years attention has been drawn to
technologies for effectively delivering the drug only to the
targeted disease site as a means to improve drug efficacy.
However, the current situation is that a means for precisely
and directly administering the drug to an ablated surface or
a surface of mucosa after ablation by a surgical operation has
not been developed.

Thus, the present inventor has further developed the
former-proposed technologies of fluidization and spraying of
fine particles of a biopolymer by a gas, and has found that,
in addition to the biopolymer, a drug can also be precisely bound
and fixed onto a drug administration site such as a wound face
or the like even in the body cavity, and, accordingly, the
present invention has been made.

Therefore, in view of the above described situations, it
is an object of the present invention to provide a method for
precisely administering a finely powdered drug to a target site,
in particular to a target site in a body cavity, by utilizing
fluidization and injection with a gas and injection with a fine
tube (a micro tube) and also to provide a method for
administering a biopolymer itself as the drug or administering
a drug with a biopolymer as a carrier. More specifically, it
is another object of the present invention to provide a method
for administering a drug or a biopolymer that is capable of
applying a drug or a biopolymer regardless of the size, the shape
and the position of the application site and that is capable
of providing the target results thereof such as providing a
hemostasis, preventing adhesion, preventing a keloid, healing
a wound, closing a wound, providing a seal or the like in a easier
way.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the problems disclosed in the present
application, an aspect of the present invention according to
claim 1 is a method for administering a finely powdered drug,
characterized in that the drug is pulverized to have a mean
particle diameter of equal to or less than 100 µm to provide
flowability with a gas, a homogeneous fluid of the fine powder
and the gas is prepared and transferred through a micro tube
by a flow of the gas, and the finely powdered drug is sprayed
on a target site from a tip of the micro tube, the quantity
sprayed thereof being adjustable.

Another aspect of the present invention according to
claim 2 is a method for administering a biopolymer comprising
fluidizing one or more types of fine particles of a biopolymer
with a gas to prepare a homogeneous mixed-phase fluid of the
biopolymer and the gas; transferring the mixed-phase fluid
through a micro tube by flowing the gas; and spraying the fine
particles of the biopolymer toward a target site from a tip of
the micro tube, thereby providing hemostasis at a wound site,
providing a seal thereto, preventing adhesion of an organ and
healing a wound.

Specifically, the administration method according to the
present invention has a configuration that includes pulverizing
the drug and the biopolymer to reduce the unit weight of the
pulverized powder, fluidizing thereof with the carrier gas,
transferring thereof through the micro tube, and injecting the
finely powdered drug and the biopolymer from the tip of the micro
tube, and, being so configured, the drug and the biopolymer can
be precisely administered through a narrow space from the
surface of the body to the target site positioned in a deeper
part of the body to which the administration thereof has been
conventionally impossible. Various types of biopolymers have
been employed for hemostasis, sealing, prevention of the
adhesion of an organ, wound healing or the like. The type and
the formulation of a plurality of biopolymers for use is
different depending on objectives of the medical treatment, and
the dosage thereof is also different. However, the method of
the present invention, can provide the advantageous effect of
precise administration of these biopolymers.

In the administration method according to the present
invention, the finely powdered drug can be mixed with the fine
particle of the biopolymer as a drug carrier, and administered
to the target site by utilizing fluid dynamics of the gas.
Therefore, in order to improve an adhesiveness of a drug to a
target site, yet other aspect of the present invention according
to claim 3 is a method for administering a biopolymer,
comprising mixing fine particles of a carrier of a bioabsorbable
biopolymer with a finely powdered drug; transferring the powder
fluidized with a gas through a micro tube by flowing the gas;
and spraying a mixed powder of the biopolymer and the finely
powdered drug toward a target site from the tip of the micro
tube, thereby providing hemostasis at a wound site, providing
a seal thereto, preventing adhesion of an organ and healing a
wound.

In the administration method according to the present
invention, it was found that vibrating the vessel for mixing
the fine particle powder and the gas achieves greater efficiency
in the fluidization of the fine particle powder to be
administered at a highly reproducible concentration and
improves the fluidity thereof with the gas. Therefore, yet
other aspect of the present invention according to claim 4 is
the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a
homogeneous fluid of a finely powdered drug and a gas or a
homogeneous fluid of a biopolymer and a gas, or a homogeneous
fluid of a finely powdered drug and a gas with a biopolymer
carrier are prepared by vibrating a mixing vessel for mixing
the fine drug powder or the biopolymer and the gas. Vibration
can be carried out by, for example, rocking vibration,
rotational vibration, ultrasonic vibration or the like.

Further, in the administration method according to the
present invention, the spraying of a certain quantity to a
target site can be achieved by controlling the concentration
of the fluidized powder and the flow rate of the gas for the
fine particle powder that is sprayed from the tip of the micro
tube. Therefore, yet other aspect of the present invention
according to claim 5 is the method according to any one of claims
1 to 3, wherein a quantity of the finely powdered drug or the
biopolymer sprayed from the tip of the micro tube is adjusted
by adjusting the powder concentration of the fluidized powder
and the gas flow.

In the administration method according to the present
invention, when the drug or the biopolymer for administration
is in a solution form, the solution can be injected into the
micro tube through a capillary tube having smaller diameter and
disposed within the micro tube, so that the size of the liquid
droplets of the solution is reduced by being repeatedly adhered
onto and separated from the inner wall of the micro tube by the
gas flow, and the droplet is sprayed from the tip of the micro
tube, thereby enabling the precise administration to the target
site. Therefore, yet other aspect of the present invention
according to claim 6 is a method according to any one of claims
1 to 5, wherein a small diameter-tube having a smaller diameter
than the micro tube is further provided coaxially in the micro
tube, and wherein an aqueous solution of physiological saline,
an infusion solution or a drug and/or a biopolymer is injected
from the smaller diameter-tube into a gas flow in the smaller
diameter-tube, thereby spraying a mixture thereof with the drug
in the fluidizing gas and/or the biopolymer fine particles in
the micro tube.

On the other hand, in contrast to the above-described
approach, a tube having a smaller diameter is coaxially provided
in the micro tube, and the fine powder fluidized with the gas
is transferred through the smaller diameter tube, and an aqueous
solution of the drug, biopolymer or the like is transferred
through the clearance between the outer tube (the micro tube)
and the inner tube (the smaller diameter tube), and the
respective aqueous solutions are mixed at a position in the
vicinity of the outlet of the micro tube and sprayed, thereby
enabling precise administration to the target site. Therefore,
yet other aspect of the present invention according to claim
7 is a method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
a smaller diameter-tube having a smaller diameter than the micro
tube is further provided coaxially in the micro tube, wherein
the finely powdered drug is transferred by the gas flow through
the smaller diameter-tube and an aqueous solution of a
physiological saline, an infusion solution or a drug and/or a
biopolymer is transferred through the clearance between the
inner and the outer tubes, and wherein both of the finely
powdered drug and the aqueous solution to be sprayed is mixed
at the tip of the micro tube.

Further, yet other aspect of the present invention
according to claim 8 is a method according to any one of claims
1 to 7, wherein the drug fluidized with the gas is provided with
sustained release, thereby delaying the release of the
medicinal properties, and another aspect of the present
invention according to claim 9 is a method according to claim
8, wherein the release of the medicinal properties is delayed
by microencapsulating, spray drying or freeze drying of the
drug.

In addition, a further aspect of the present invention
according to claim 10 is a method for administering a drug
comprising fluidizing a biopolymer fine powder and fluidizing
of a finely powdered drug in different vessels, transferring
the respective fine powders by gas flow through a micro tube,
spraying the fine powders from a tip of the micro tube to a target
site by first spraying the finely powdered drug and second
spraying the fine particles of the biopolymer to coat the drug
component layer on the target site, thereby preventing
diffusion and leakage of the drug to a location other than the
target site.

Specifically, according to the present invention, the
drug fine powder is sprayed and applied onto the target site
by utilizing the fluid dynamics of the gas, and the drug adhesion
surface is then further coated with the fine particle of the
biopolymer, thereby ensuring leakage and diffusion of the drug
fine powder to a portion other than the target site is prevented.

Further, yet other aspect of the present invention
according to claim 11 is a method for administering a drug
comprising connecting containers containing two types of
respectively different components in series with a micro tube
and spraying a drug from a tip of the micro tube to a target
site, wherein a larger quantity of the component contained in
the vessel that is connected nearer to the tip of the micro tube
is sprayed than that contained in the other vessel in the first
half of the spraying, and wherein a larger quantity of the
component contained in the vessel that is connected at the gas
input portion side is sprayed than that contained in another
vessel in the second half of the spraying, thereby gradually
varying the concentrations of the respectively sprayed
components.

Specifically, according to the method of the present
invention, the coating layer covering the administered site by
the spraying can be formed to have a concentration distribution
of the components that has an automatically-formed gradient
from the interior side of the administered site to the exterior
side thereof. For example, an inner layer in vicinity of an
injured surface can be coated with a composition containing a
component promoting the healing of the injury at a higher
concentration, and the outer layer can be coated with a
biopolymer having better sealing properties. Such spray
coatings, for example, can be achieved by a method in which two
vessels containing fine powder gases or two vessels containing
aqueous solutions are coupled in series, and the component from
the vessel further from the spray slot is transfered to the
nearer vessel, and the two components are gradually mixed to
provide a concentration gradient.

Alternatively, in the present invention, a plurality of
biopolymer, in particular two types of biopolymers that are
water-soluble, exhibiting a viscous nature or be coagulated,
can be administered, and in such case, a set of fine particle
powder thereof and solution thereof, or a set of solutions
thereof can be administered to the target site. Therefore, yet
other aspect of the present invention according to claim 12 is
a method for administering a biopolymer, wherein two types of
biopolymer, which can be dissolved in water to exhibit a viscous
nature or be coagulated, are employed, and wherein a set of fine
particle powder thereof and solution thereof, or a set of
solutions thereof are individually transferred through
respective micro tubes by flows of gases, and the set are mixed
at a tip of the micro tube, thereby spraying thereof to a target
site.

In this case, if the two types of the biopolymer is a set
of an anionic biopolymer and a cationic biopolymer, both in a
solution state can be combined to exhibit physical properties
and bio-combinability that are totally different from those of
the single component thereof, and in particular, the increase
of viscosity is remarkable. Although the combined compound of
the both biopolymers is difficult to be transported through the
micro tube due to its high viscosity, the highly viscous gel
compound having greater adhesiveness can be sprayed to the
target site by transporting one of the biopolymers as a form
of fine particle powder with a gas flow or transporting both
biopolymers as a form of solution with a gas flow, and mixing
thereof when spraying.

Therefore, yet other aspect of the present invention
according to claim 13 is the method for administrating a
biopolymer according to claim 12, wherein the set of the two
types of biopolymers is a combination of an anionic biopolymer
and a cationic biopolymer, and yet other aspect of the present
invention according to claim 14 is the method for administering
a biopolymer according to claims 12 or 13, wherein the
biopolymers are selected from a group consisting of synthetic
polymers, polysaccharides, peptides and proteins.

More specific aspect of the present invention according
to claim 15 is a method for administering a drug for providing
a hemostasis of a wounded face or providing a seal,
characterized in that two capillary tubes are coaxially
provided within a micro tube, and fibrinogen alone or a combined
liquid thereof with other coagulation factor and thrombin alone
or a combined solution thereof with calcium chloride are
injected from one capillary tube and another capillary tube,
respectively, into a gas flow in the micro tube, thereby
spraying the mixture from a tip of the micro tube to a target
site while mixing both solutions.

In such case, further specific aspect of the present
invention according to claim 16 is a method for administering
a drug for providing a hemostasis of a wounded face or providing
a seal, characterized in that a powder containing fibrinogen
as a chief constituent alone or a mixed fine powder thereof with
a biopolymer and an aqueous solution containing thrombin as a
chief constituent are employed, and a mixture thereof are
sprayed to a target site.

The powder containing fibrinogen as a main constituent
can be a powder containing, for example, fibrin, coagulation
factor XIII, fibronectin, aprotinin or the like, and a powder
containing thrombin as a chief constituent can be a combined
powder of thrombin and calcium chloride.

Further, yet other aspect of the present invention
according to claim 17 is a fluidized matrix fine particle powder
for use as a drug having sustained releaseability in the methods
for administering the drug according to any one of claims 1 to
16, wherein the drug is bound to a biopolymer within a solution
via an intermolecular interaction consisting of a coulomb force,
a hydrogen bonding and a hydrophobic bonding and pulverized at
a lower temperature after drying. In this case, properties of
the matrix can be utilized to ensure the sustained release of
the drug.

Here, when the biopolymers having different ion charges
are mixed, the mixture acquires new physical properties due to
containing ionic bonds therein, and the increase of viscosity
or the reduction of solubility is remarkable. Therefore, a
powder prepared by mixing, formulation-processing or
chemically combining one electric charged polymer with a drug
having an opposite electric charge is fluidized with gas and
is mixed and injected with a biopolymer solution having an
opposite electric charge to form a sparingly soluble and
sparingly degradable gel or semisolid material, thereby
enabling to provide a sustained release to the drug
administration target site and coating thereof. Further, the
physical properties thereof comprise functional
characteristics as a drug for hemostasis, prevention of
adhesion wound healing and tissue sealing.

Therefore, yet other aspect of the present invention
according to claim 18 is a method for administering a drug for
providing a hemostasis of a wounded face or providing a seal,
wherein the drug according to claim 17 and a biopolymer having
an ionic charge opposite to that of the matrix fine particle
powder of the biopolymer according to claim 17 are sprayed to
a target site from a tip of a micro tube in a fine particle powder
state or a solution state.

In addition, the administration method according to the
present invention enables spray-administering of an adhesive
and filler employed for treatments of bone in orthopedic surgery.
Since the adhesive and the filler employed for treatments of
bone in orthopedic surgery are generally administered by mixing
the ceramics powder and the liquid binder with a spatula and
rubbing the mixture on target site, the internal load is
generated therein and uniform surface is seldom formed.
However, since the ceramics powder is administered via
fluidization and spray-administration according to the
administration method of the present invention, the ceramics
powder can be precisely administered to a larger defective part
of a skull and a defective part of the bone that is caused in
a surgical removal operation of cancer, which requires a
delicate handling, and thus, forming of the bone substitute can
easily be conducted, even if the operation field is narrow.

Therefore, yet other aspect of the present invention
according to claim 19 is the method according to any one of claims
2 to 7, wherein the biopolymer is a calcium phosphate-type
powder, a hydroxyapatite-type powder or a powder of a glass-type
material, which is a bone cement or an artificial bone filler,
and wherein a mixed solution of a calcium phosphate-type powder
or a hydroxyapatite-type powder and a liquid binder agent, or
a mixed solution of glass-type material and an aqueous acids
is sprayed from a tip of a micro tube to form a bone substitute
at a target site.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a fundamental
constitution showing the administration method of the present
invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of
a micro tube, which is provided with a capillary tube disposed
coaxially within the micro tube.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of
a micro tube, which is provided with two capillary tubes both
disposed coaxially within the micro tube.

Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a gas jet sprayer
that utilizes two aerosols employed in example 4.

BEST MODE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

The following describes the present invention in further
detail.

The biopolymer used in the present invention is, in one
sense, a polymer having so-called biocompatibility, and as a
typical biopolymer is not particularly limited as long as the
polymer has functions for hemostasis, prevention of adhesion,
prevention of keloid, healing of wounds, closing of wounds,
sealing and the like. More specifically, carboxymethyl
celluloses, carboxyethyl celluloses, oxycelluloses, agaroses,
chitins, chitosans, hyaluronic acids, starches, glycogens,
alginates, pectins, dextrans, condroitin sulfates, gelatins,
collagens or the like can be employed, or one or more types of
these biopolymers can be employed.

Further, the drugs capable of being administered with the
present invention can include various types of drugs, and among
these, typical drugs can be drug medicines possessing lower
molecular weights, such as bactericides, antibiotic agents,
hemostats, anti-tumor drugs and antiphlogistics, peptides such
as cell growth factors, cytostatic factors, neurotrophic
factors or the like, protein medicines or various types of
antibody medicines, vectors containing genes utilized for gene
therapy (adenovirus, retrovirus, liposome, hydrogel or the
like) or naked DNA or the like.

These drugs can be administered as fine powders or aqueous
solutions by the administration method according to the present
invention. Among these, in the case that the drug is
administered as fine powder with the biopolymer, when the
isoelectric point with the biopolymer is dissociated, the
adhesion of the drug can be improved and the release ability
of the drug from the biopolymer can be decreased by containing
ion-bonds or the like therein, thereby providing better
sustained release. Therefore, the method also has the
advantages of being capable of appropriately selecting the type
of biopolymer depending on the type of the drug for
administration.

In order to ensure the sustained release of the drug for
usage, the powder prepared by the method, in which the drug
having an electric charge is previously ion-bonded to a
biopolymer having different electric charge in an aqueous
solution, then freeze-dried and thereafter pulverized to be
unified, can be administered by the administration method of
the present invention.

As an alternative approach for providing sustained
release, the drug for administration is microencapsulated to
form fine particles, and these fine particles, either alone or
with a biopolymer, can be administered by the administration
method of the present invention.

In the administration method of the present invention,
the drug and/or the biopolymer is precisely administered to the
target site basically by fluidizing the drug and/or the
biopolymer in the carrier gas flow, transferring thereof
through the micro tube, and injecting the fine particles of the
drug and/or the biopolymer from the tip of the micro tube.
Therefore, it is preferable to employ fine particles, which are
capable of being fluidized by the drug and/or the carrier gas.
Such fine particles can preferably have a particle size
distribution, in which roughly 80% particles have particle
diameters under 100 µm, and the mean particle diameter is equal
to or less than 50 µm.

Here, in the administration method of the present
invention, the administered drug and/or biopolymer are not
particularly limited to the form of the fine particles, and it
is needless to say that even a solution-type thereof can be
administered according to the administration method of the
present invention.

Although various types of gases are included in the
carrier gases available for the present invention, it is
preferable to employ carbon dioxide gas or nitrogen gas in view
of safety and convenience. It is preferable to use gas-piping
facilities in a hospital for the injection gas.

A fluidization of the drug and/or the biopolymer in the
administration method of the present invention can preferably
be conducted within a blending cell for the gas and the
pulverized powder. Further, in order to mix a liquid and the
fine powder, which is fluidized with gas, the liquid can be
injected into a micro tube via a capillary tube, where the liquid
and the powder come into contact and can be mixed. The flow
rate of the gas flowing through the micro tube can be at a level
that promotes fluidizing a sufficient amount of the gas for
spraying the mixture of the drug from the tip of the micro tube,
and after setting such a flow rate for the gas, for example,
bacteria or the like are removed via passage through a bacteria
filter, the powder is fluidized within a powder blending cell,
further the fine particles of the drug and/or the biopolymer
are transferred through the micro tube, the drug and the like
is sprayed from the tip of the micro tube, thereby being sprayed
to the targeted administering site, in particular the
administration site in a living body.

The administration method of the present invention will
be described in detail as follows, with reference to Fig. 1 that
shows a schematic diagram thereof.

The Fig. 1 schematically shows a fundamental
configuration for the administration method of the present
invention. Specifically, a fluidizing gas such as carbon
dioxide gas or nitrogen gas flows from a gas supply source (A)
of an outside facility (101), and after the pressure thereof
is adjusted via a pressure regulating valve (B), the flow is
modulated by a gas flow rate control valve (D) and a flow meter
(C) on the apparatus portion (102), and then, the bacteria
included in the gas are removed by a bacteria filter (F), and
thereafter, the flow is eventually supplied to a powder-gas
mixing cell (E), where the drug and/or the biopolymer are
fluidized.

The fluidization of the drug and/or the biopolymer in the
blending cell can preferably be conducted within the blending
cell that is a quantification mixer comprising a rolling shaker,
a rotary shaker or a supersonic wave shaker, and the powder of
the drug and/or the biopolymer is uniformly mixed and fluidized
by the gas in the interior of the quantification mixer (blending
cell). The mixed powder fluidized by the gas is then
transferred through the micro tube (103) by the gas to be sprayed
from the tip of the micro tube (103). In this case, the bacteria
filter-blending cell-micro tube portion of the apparatus
portion (102) can be a disposable portion (104), which is easily
replaced depending upon the type of the drug and/or the
biopolymer suitable for the administration target.

When the drug and/or biopolymer to be administered by the
administration method described above is in a solution form,
a capillary tube (104) is provided coaxially within the micro
tube (103), and when the liquid-type drug and/or biopolymer is
injected from the tip of the capillary tube toward the gas flow
in the micro tube (shown by an arrow in the figure), the liquid
is dispersed by the gas flow to form a mist, and then the mist
is sprayed from the tip of the micro tube, thereby enabling the
spraying thereof onto the target site. A schematic structure
of the micro tube, which can be used for in this case, is shown
in Fig. 2.

Alternatively, two or more types of the liquids of the
drug and/or the biopolymer can be mixed for administering via
the administration method of the present invention. In such
case, two or more of the capillary tubes (105,106) are installed
coaxially within the micro tube (103) as required, and the
individual solutions of the drug and/or the biopolymer are
injected into the gas flow in the micro tube (shown by an arrow
in the figure) from the tip of the capillary tube to form a mist,
and the mist can be sprayed from the tip of the micro tube. The
schematic structure of the micro tube is shown in Fig. 3.

Alternatively, a modification of the administration
method of the present invention can employ a small cylinder as
the supply source of the fluid gas. Further, if a micro tube
is coupled to an aerosol, and a capillary tube is combined with
the micro tube, achieving a miniaturization thereof or
providing a disposable application is possible. In this case,
two types of aerosols are combined and coupled via a nozzle,
and two types of drug and/or biopolymer are simultaneously
injected from the respective aerosols and mixed in the coupled
portion, and then the drug and/or the biopolymer can be sprayed
from a tip of an integrated micro tube.

EXAMPLES

The present invention is further described in detail by
the following illustrating examples.

EXAMPLE 1

A schematic diagram of the powder gas jet sprayer employed
in Example 1 is shown in Fig. 4.

This apparatus, for example, adjusts pressure of carbon
dioxide gas from a gas supply source (1) such as carbon dioxide
gas cylinders or the carbon dioxide gas pipe supply network
within hospitals or the like using a pressure regulation valve
(2), and thereafter the flow of gas is modulated in the apparatus
(110) by a gas flow valve (3) and a flow meter (4), then bacteria
contained in the gas are removed by the bacteria filter (5).
The gas and the powdered drug and/or the biopolymer are
fluidized within a quantification mixer (7) containing a
shaking device (6), and then transferred through the micro tube
(8) with the gas, and eventually sprayed from the tip of the
micro tube.

Fine powder of a lysozyme chloride, which is an
anti-inflammatory enzyme preparation as a drug, is mixed with
a biopolymer of carboxymethyl cellulose that has an
advantageous effect of providing hemostasis and preventing
adhesion at a mixing weight ratio of 1:20, and thereafter a
fluidization thereof is conducted, and then the spraying and
the application thereof to an organization isolation face after
surgical operation is conducted from the tip of the micro tube.
As such, hemostasis, anti-inflammatory effect and adhesion
prevention can be provided.

EXAMPLE 2

A schematic diagram of the powder gas jet sprayer employed
in the Example 2 is shown Fig. 5. Here, the signs appearing
within the diagram have the same meaning as those appearing in
Fig. 4.

This apparatus functions in a similar manner to Example
1, in that it adjusts pressure of carbon dioxide gas from a gas
supply source (1) such as carbon dioxide gas cylinders or the
carbon dioxide gas pipe supply network within hospitals or the
like using a pressure regulation valve (2), and thereafter the
flow of gas is modulated in the apparatus by a gas flow valve
(3) and a flow meter (4), then bacteria contained in the gas
are removed by the bacteria filter (5). The gas and the powdered
drug and/or the biopolymer are fluidized within a
quantification mixer (7) containing a shaking device (6), and
then transferred through the micro tube (8) with the gas, and
eventually sprayed from the tip of the micro tube, and
additionally, a capillary tube (not shown) is installed within
the micro tube (8), for example as shown in Fig. 2, and a solution
of the drug and/or the biopolymer is injected via a pump (10)
from a fluid container (9).

10 g of carboxymethyl cellulose is added as a biopolymer
into a powder-gas mixing cell. 7 ml of 10% cationic cellulose
aqueous solution is added into a liquid vessel (9) that is
connected to a pump (10), and the powder is fluidized at another
place, and then the cationic cellulose solution is injected from
the capillary tube into the micro tube (8) and is mixed, and
eventually the mixture is sprayed and applied to an organization
isolation face after surgery from the tip of the micro tube.
These two components start mutually coupling simultaneously
when they are mixed, and they exhibit a viscosity, and then the
mixture is firmly adhered to the organization isolation surface,
where the adhered mixture is not melted, thereby exhibiting
better sealing effect without dispersal thereof by body fluids
to promote a hemostasis, prevention of adhesion and wound
healing.

EXAMPLE 3

A schematic diagram of the powder gas jet sprayer employed
in Example 3 is shown in Fig. 6. Here, the signs appearing
within the diagram have the same meaning as those appearing in
Fig. 4 and Fig. 5.

This apparatus functions in a similar manner to Example
1 and Example 2, in that it adjusts pressure of carbon dioxide
gas from a gas supply source (1) such as carbon dioxide gas
cylinders or the carbon dioxide gas pipe supply network within
hospitals or the like using a pressure regulation valve (2),
and thereafter the flow of gas is modulated in the apparatus
by a gas flow valve (3) and a flow meter (4), then bacteria
contained in the gas are removed by the bacteria filter (5).
Then, the apparatus is designed so that it can transfer fluids
through the micro tube (8), and spray such fluids from the tip
of the micro tube, and further, two capillary tubes (not shown)
are installed within the micro tube, as shown in Fig. 3, for
example, and solutions of the drug and/or the biopolymer are
injected via the pumps (10a, 10b) from the liquid vessels (9a,
9b), respectively.

As sealing agents for surgery usage, 5 ml of 10% fibrinogen
aqueous solution and 5 ml of thrombin 2500 unit aqueous solution
are contained in different vessels (9a, 9b) , respectively, and
the injections are conducted into the micro tube via pumps (10a,
10b) through capillary tubes from these vessels, and they are
mixed with the gas to form a mist, and then the mixture of
fibrinogen and thrombin is sprayed from the tip of the micro
tube to a target site. This provides that fibrin created on
the injured surface can be utilized as a hemostasis and sealing
agent.

EXAMPLE 4

A schematic front elevation view of the gas jet sprayer
employing two aerosols used in this example is shown in Fig.
7. In this example, a plurality of (two, in this example)
aerosols, which are small cylinders (20a, 20b), are used as
sources of fluidizing gas supply, and two aerosol vessels are
connected to micro tubes (21a, 21b), and the drug and/or the
biopolymer is sprayed from a tip of a micro tube (22), which
is formed by convergingly integrating the two micro tubes.
Preferably, coupling of the micro tubes to the aerosols can be
conducted by installing the double-coupled actuators, which are
formed by integrating two aerosol vessels having push-down
valves with a thermal shrinkage tube.

10 ml of 10 % aqueous solution of fibrinogen and 5 ml of
2500 unit aqueous solution of thrombin were respectively filled
in the 10 ml aerosol vessels as stock solutions, and further
nitrogen gas was filled therein at a pressure of 4 kg/cm2 as
injection agents. Aqueous solution containing fibrinogen and
aqueous solution containing thrombin were injected from
respective aerosol vessels by depressing push-down buttons of
the aerosol vessels, and mixed by an actuator, transferred in
a form of mist through the micro tube, and eventually sprayed
from the tip of the micro tube to a target site to be provided
with a hemostasis.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, the present invention provides a
method for precisely administering a finely powdered drug to
a target site, in particular to a target site in a body cavity,
by utilizing fluidization and injection with a gas and injection
with a fine tube (a micro tube) and also to provide a method
for administering a biopolymer itself as the drug or
administering a drug with a biopolymer as a carrier.
Specifically, the administration method of the present
invention provides an advantageous effect of applying a drug
or a biopolymer regardless of the size, the shape and the
position of the application site and that is capable of
providing the target results thereof such as providing a
hemostasis, preventing adhesion, preventing a keloid, healing
a wound, closing a wound, providing a seal or the like in a easier
way.

Specifically, the administration method according to the
present invention has a configuration that includes pulverizing
the drug and the biopolymer to reduce the unit weight of the
pulverized powder, fluidizing thereof with the carrier gas,
transferring thereof through the micro tube, and injecting the
finely powdered drug and the biopolymer from the tip of the micro
tube, and, being so configured, the drug and the biopolymer can
be precisely administered through a narrow space from the
surface of the body to the target site positioned in a deeper
part of the body to which the administration thereof has been
conventionally impossible.

Further, the present invention is the administration
method, characterized in that the method comprises: mixing fine
particles of the biopolymer as carrier with the finely powdered
drug and fluidizing the mixture; transferring thereof through
the micro tube using a gas; and spraying the mixed finely
powdered biopolymer and the drug to the target site from the
tip of the micro tube so as to improve the adhesiveness than
using the drug alone, and thus, this configuration provides
advantageous effects, in which the finely powdered drug, with
the fine particles of the biopolymer as a drug carrier, can be
mixed and administered to the target site by fluid force and
spray force of the gas.

Further, the method for administering a drug according
to the present invention comprises: conducting a fluidization
of biopolymer fine powder and a fluidization of a drug fine
powder in different vessels; transferring the respective fine
powders with a gas flow through a micro tube; spraying the fine
drug powders from a tip of the micro tube to a target site; and
thereafter spraying the fine particles of the biopolymer to coat
the drug component layer on the target site, and therefore the
advantageous effects of preventing a diffusion of the drug to
a portion other than the target site can be obtained.

Alternatively, in the present invention, a plurality of
biopolymer, in particular two types of biopolymer that can be
dissolved in water to exhibit a viscous nature or be coagulated
can be administered, and in such case, the advantageous effects
can be obtained, in which a set of fine particle powder thereof
and solution thereof, or a set of solutions thereof can be
administered to the target site.

Claims (19)

A method for administering a finely powdered drug,
characterized in that the drug is pulverized to have a mean
particle diameter of equal to or less than 100 µm to provide
fluidity with a gas, a homogeneous fluid of the fine powder and
the gas is prepared and transferred through a micro tube by a
flow of the gas, and the finely powdered drug is sprayed on a
target site from a tip of the micro tube, the quantity sprayed
thereof being adjustable.

A method for administering a biopolymer, comprising:

fluidizing one or more types of fine particles of a
biopolymer with a gas to prepare a homogeneous mixed-phase fluid
of the biopolymer and the gas;

transferring the mixed-phase fluid through a micro tube
by flowing the gas; and

spraying the fine particles of the biopolymer toward a
target site from a tip of the micro tube, thereby providing
hemostasis at a wound site, providing a seal thereto, preventing
adhesion of an organ and healing a wound.

A method for administering a biopolymer, comprising:

mixing fine particles of a carrier of a bioabsorbable
biopolymer with a finely powdered drug;

transferring the powder fluidized with a gas through a
micro tube by flowing the gas; and

spraying a mixed powder of the biopolymer and the finely
powdered drug toward a target site from the tip of the micro
tube, thereby providing hemostasis at a wound site, providing
a seal thereto, preventing adhesion of an organ and healing a
wound.

The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
a homogeneous fluid of a finely powdered drug and a gas or a
homogeneous fluid of a biopolymer and a gas, or a homogeneous
fluid of a finely powdered drug and a gas with a biopolymer
carrier are prepared by vibrating a mixing vessel for mixing
the fine drug powder or the biopolymer and the gas.

The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
a quantity of the finely powdered drug or the biopolymer sprayed
from the tip of the micro tube is adjusted by adjusting the powder
concentration of the fluidized powder and the gas flow.

The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
a small diameter-tube having a smaller diameter than the micro
tube is further provided coaxially in the micro tube, and
wherein an aqueous solution of saline, an infusion solution or
a drug and/or a biopolymer is injected from the smaller
diameter-tube into a gas flow in the smaller diameter-tube,
thereby spraying a mixture thereof with the drug in the
fluidizing gas and/or the biopolymer fine particles in the micro
tube.

The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
a smaller diameter-tube having a smaller diameter than the micro
tube is further provided coaxially in the micro tube, wherein
the finely powdered drug is transferred by the gas flow through
the smaller diameter-tube and an aqueous solution of a
physiological saline, an infusion solution or a drug and/or a
biopolymer is transferred through the clearance between the
inner and the outer tubes, and wherein both of the finely
powdered drug and the aqueous solution to be sprayed is mixed
at the tip of the micro tube.

The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein
the drug fluidized with the gas is provided with sustained
release, thereby delaying the release of the medicinal
properties.

The method according to claim 8, wherein the release of the
medicinal properties is sustained by microencapsulating, spray
drying or freeze drying of the drug.

A method for administering a drug comprising:

fluidizing a biopolymer fine powder and fluidizing of a
finely powdered drug in different vessels;

transferring the respective fine powders by gas flow
through a micro tube; and

spraying the fine powders from a tip of the micro tube
to a target site by:

first spraying the finely powdered drug and

second spraying the fine particles of the
biopolymer to coat the drug component layer on the target site,
thereby preventing diffusion and leakage of the drug to a
location other than the target site.

A method for administering a drug comprising:

connecting containers containing two types of
respectively different components in series with a micro tube;
and

spraying a drug from a tip of the micro tube to a target
site,

wherein a larger quantity of the component contained in the
vessel that is connected nearer to the tip of the micro tube
is sprayed than that contained in the other vessel in the first
half of the spraying, and
wherein a larger quantity of the component contained in the
vessel that is connected at the gas input portion side is sprayed
than that contained in another vessel in the second half of the
spraying, thereby gradually varying the concentrations of the
respectively sprayed components.

A method for administering a biopolymer, wherein two types
of biopolymer, which can be dissolved in water to exhibit a
viscous nature or be coagulated, are employed, and wherein
a set of fine particle powder thereof and solution thereof, or
a set of solutions thereof are individually transferred through
respective micro tubes by flows of gases, and the set are mixed
at a tip of the micro tube, thereby spraying thereof to a target
site.

The method according to claim 12, wherein the set of said
two types of biopolymers is a combination of an anionic
biopolymer and a cationic biopolymer.

The method according to claims 12 or 13, wherein said
biopolymers are selected from a group consisting of synthetic
polymers, polysaccharides, peptides and proteins.

A method for administering a drug for providing a hemostasis
of a wounded face or providing a seal, characterized in that
two capillary tubes are coaxially provided within a micro tube,
and fibrinogen alone or a combined liquid thereof with other
coagulation factor and thrombin alone or a combined solution
thereof with calcium chloride are injected from one capillary
tube and another capillary tube, respectively into a gas flow
in micro tube, thereby spraying the mixture from a tip of the
micro tube to a target site while mixing both solutions.

A method for administering a drug for providing a hemostasis
of a wounded face or providing a seal, characterized in that
a powder containing fibrinogen as a chief constituent alone or
a mixed fine powder thereof with a biopolymer and an aqueous
solution containing thrombin as a main constituent are employed,
and a mixture thereof are sprayed to a target site by the method
according to claim 15.

A fluidized matrix fine particle powder for use as a drug
having sustained releasability in the methods for administering
the drug according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the
drug is bound to a biopolymer within a solution via an
intermolecular interaction consisting of a coulomb force, a
hydrogen bond force and a hydrophobic bond force and pulverized
at a lower temperature after drying.

A method for administering a drug for providing a hemostasis
of a wounded face or providing a seal, wherein the drug according
to claim 17 and a biopolymer having an ionic charge opposite
to that of the matrix fine particle powder of the biopolymer
according to claim 17 are sprayed to a target site from a tip
of a micro tube in a fine particle powder state or a solution
state.

The method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein
said biopolymer is a calcium phosphate-type powder, a
hydroxyapatite-type powder or a powder of a glass-type material,
which is a bone cement or an artificial bone filler, and wherein
a mixed solution of a calcium phosphate-type powder or a
hydroxyapatite-type powder and a liquid agent, or a mixed
solution of glass-type material and an aqueous acids is sprayed
from a tip of a micro tube to form a bone substitute at a target
site.